Why This Project?
When journalist Ann-Kathrin Nezik of Die Zeit (the German New York Times) interviewed me about the bullshit AI “lie detector” iBorderCtrl in late August of 2020, I was eight months pregnant. Two months later, the pediatrician called in the middle of the night saying to wake up the baby, and feed him formula every three hours. Horrified, I dug into the science I thought I knew — and discovered it wasn’t science at all…
Misc.
Book project.
Related essays on my SubStack.
May 2023 talk “Exclusive Breastfeeding: Bad Science, Risky Practice, & Failed Policy” (video; slides) as part of the University of Kent, Centre for Parenting Culture Studies’ “Parenting culture and feeding babies” symposium.
Peer-Reviewed Publications
“Neonatal Jaundice and Autism: Precautionary Principle Invocation Overdue,” Cureus Journal of Medical Science, Vol. 14, No. 2, Feb. 2022: e22512.
“Breastfeeding Insufficiencies: Common and Preventable Harm to Neonates,” Cureus Journal of Medical Science, Vol. 4, No. 13, Oct. 2021: e18478.
Documents / Open Records Request Releases
ELF-TLC. Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) file with the U.S. Dept. of Health & Human Services (HHS), Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), for the Early Limited Formula for Treating Lactation Concerns (ELF-TLC) clinical trial, a failed replication that resulted in preventable hospitalizations of exclusively breastfed newborns who had already been identified as having substantial weight loss. Documents show investigators failed to inform their IRB of associated risks — and their funder (HHS) of associated adverse events.
CDC. FOIA file with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for records discussing risks associated with exclusive breastfeeding, responding to or about the Fed Is Best Foundation (a grassroots non-profit working to mitigate those risks), and responding to or about Fed Is Best co-founder Christie del Castillo-Hegyi (with her permission). Documents released so far show that CDC awareness of exclusive breastfeeding-associated risks, including the possible jaundice-autism link, has outpaced safety monitoring and harm prevention efforts.
Media Coverage
Ft. research in Tom Chivers’s inews.co.uk article “Baby formula shortage: I’m ashamed I encouraged my wife to breastfeed exclusively, despite the pain,” June 2022.
Service
Peer reviewer for relevant articles in medical journals.
